I know what you're thinking—yes, potatoes are a nightshade. And yes, I am allergic to potatoes. But the Man isn't, and occasionally (when I'm feeling particularly sweet) I cook things just for him that I don't eat myself, like Garlic and Herb Chicken Thighs, and potatoes.

The story goes as follows: I needed to make a test batch of my Simple Green Beans for a magazine photo shoot, and wanted to use the green beans for dinner. I went to Guido's Fresh Marketplace in Great Barrington to do my grocery shopping, which is always a great excuse to buy fresh fish. Salmon and green beans are a great pairing, and potatoes and salmon are the best of friends, so dinner was a no brainer. (It's like a dinner related logic problem! If A then B...) Plus, it would be a rare nightshade treat for the Man (ah the little things...).

I used Honey Golds, but feel free to use fingerlings, baby red potatoes, or any type of new potato.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the potatoes in half (quarter the extra large ones) and add them to a large glass Pyrex baking dish. Toss them with a good splash of olive oil. Add the rosemary and garlic, and toss again. Finally, sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and toss again.

Place the potatoes in the oven, and roast for about an hour. When they're ready, they should be tender and slightly crisp.

A fun salsa is one of my favorite ways to dress up a protein. Last summer I shared my recipe for Stone Fruit Salsa that is perfect with grilled fish, chicken or steak. The smokiness from the grill is a great foil for the sweet fruit and tangy onion. And last spring I posted my Avocado Salsa that I serve with grilled or seared Ahi tuna. I love the creaminess of the avocado and the creaminess of the fish with briney capers and garlic.

This Meyer Lemon Salsa is fresh and bright, with sweet Meyer lemons and shallots, and a lot of fresh parsley. This is a case where Meyer lemons are a must. Meyers are a cross between a true lemon and a mandarin, and are much sweeter and more tender than your typical lemon—you would likely find this salsa to be quite tart and overly chewy with either Lisbon or Eureka lemons.

I intended to make this to serve with trout (I'm in Idaho after all), but there wasn’t any at the fish counter, so fresh, wild, red snapper was a great stand in. The salsa is really quite versatile, and would be perfect with halibut or salmon as well. Quinoa cooked in broth was a nice rich pairing for the bright salsa, and a green salad completed the meal.

Note: I used red wine vinegar because that's what I had on hand in my tiny Ketchum kitchen, but feel free to use white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar instead.

MEYER LEMON SALSA

3 meyer lemons

2 shallots, minced

a handful of Italian parsley, chopped

2 splashes red wine vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

2 large pinches of sea salt, crushed

a few large grinds of black pepper

Cut the lemons in half, remove the seeds, and chop the lemons (skin and all) into 1/4 - 1/2 inch pieces. Combine them, as well as any juice from your cutting board, with the shallots and parsley in a bowl. Add a couple of splashes of red wine vinegar, and follow with enough olive oil such that when you stir it all together it’s quite moist, and the oil drips off of the lemons a bit. Season with a couple of pinches of sea salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine, and adjust seasonings to taste.

I found the inspiration for this recipe in Bon Appétit, and it immediately made me think of the wood-fired, brick oven at Chez Panisse Café. Not only do amazing pizzas come out of there, but a multitude of other dishes do too, such as my absolute favorite—roasted squid and cannellini beans with herb pesto and aioli. The burning wood gives the squid a smokey quality that really can’t be replicated anywhere else. But I figured I could do justice to a bubbling bean ragout, even without the smokiness that was wafting through my memory.

It wasn’t until the next day that I realized the lineage of that recipe I had found. In very small print at the bottom of the page, Bon Appétit gave credit to Pizzaiolo in Oakland, California. Chef/Owner Charlie Hallowell is in fact a Chez Panisse alum, and many of my first kitchen memories were standing with Charlie in front of the wood-fired oven in the Café when I was about ten years old, rolling out pizza dough. No wonder the recipe reminded me of that oven… Thanks, Charlie, for the memories, and for the recipe inspiration. I changed things around a bit, but the original feeling is still there.

If I were eating the squid and bean dish at Chez Panisse I would order a simple green salad to start, so I prepared the same at home, and enjoyed the beans and salad with some warm, crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mince 4 cloves garlic and set aside. Chop the onion and fennel bulbs. Add a splash of olive oil to a 3 quart sauce pan with a lid, and set over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, onion, fennel and bay leaves to the pan along with a large pinch of salt and a splash of water. Cover, and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until soft, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, mince the remaining clove of garlic and add it to a food processor along with the parsley, 3/4 cup olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Combine on high until well incorporated, scraping down the sides as needed. Set aside.

Rinse your food processor so it’s not green from the parsley, then add 3 cups of the cannellini beans along with 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup water. Puree until smooth.

Remove the bay leaves from the onion mixture. Pile the kale on top. Add the puréed bean mixture and whole beans. Fold/stir to incorporate. If the mixture seems dry, add water 1/4 cup at a time and stir. (It should be moist when it goes into the oven.) Season with black pepper and additional salt to taste. Drizzle with additional olive oil.

Place the pot in the oven and cook for about 25 minutes, or until the top starts to show some color. To serve, scoop the beans onto individual plates and drizzle with the parsley oil.

I don't know about you, but all we've been eating at my house this week is some variation of what was on our Thanksgiving table. And now that we have officially eaten the final bites of yams and pie out of the fridge, and the leftover stuffing and turkey are in the freezer for a rainy day, I am so happy to not to be having some variation of leftovers tonight for dinner!

This is one of those vegetarian dishes I would make for my meat-loving friends. It has a savory richness that only mushrooms can bring, which is perfect with the creaminess of Arborio rice. Arborio is a short-grain, Italian rice with a high starch content, meaning that it can absorb a lot of liquid without becoming mushy or falling apart. It also takes on flavors really well, which makes it the perfect choice for risotto and baked rice dishes such as this. And while I do adore risotto and find the process meditative, sometimes I don't have the time to stand over the stove stirring. Baking Arborio rice is a good alternative to the traditional stovetop method, also yielding a creamy concoction!

While I did say that this vegetarian main would satisfy the meat lovers out there, it would also go really well with poultry if you're looking for a side dish. A roasted chicken breast would complement it quite nicely... Along with a simple green salad, for vegetarians and meat eaters alike.

BAKED RICE WITH MUSHROOMS

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1 small red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup Arborio rice

2.5 cups vegetable broth

10 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, sliced

2 shallots, diced

3 tablespoons parsley plus more for serving, chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In an oven-proof, medium-sized dutch oven (I used a Staub cast iron) heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until transparent (5-10 minutes). Add the rice and pinch of salt, and stir to coat the grains of rice in the butter. Sauté for a few minutes before adding the broth. Bring to a low boil and cook for a few minutes.

Put the lid on your dutch oven, and put it in the oven to bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat your remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat in skillet. Add the mushrooms, shallots and 3 tablespoons parsley, and cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid and are beginning to caramelize. Remove from the heat, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Once your rice is fully cooked and all liquid has been absorbed, stir in your mushroom mixture. Taste for seasoning, and garnish with additional fresh parsley.

Rewind to Christmas 2013. I received Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbook entitled Jerusalem from my dear family friends who know me so well. What an awesome gift—I loved it. Still do. And so did the Man. It was his first time with my family for the holidays, but he didn't hesitate and eagerly threw open the pages of Jerusalem to cook up something spectacular. It was our second joint cooking endeavor. The first had been throwing a crab and cocktail feast for my closest friends, as the Man wisely decided that the way to get my friends to like him was to get them all tipsy on holiday cocktails. Smart man. Clearly we were off to a good start.

Fast forward one year to Christmas 2014. I had since moved to both Ketchum and Lakeville, and the Man and I were still enjoying many a home-cooked, Jerusalem inspired dish. I had even taken pictures of my favorite recipes with my phone so that I could continue cooking them in Ketchum and not have to lug the book back and forth across the country every few weeks. The Man and I were in Ketchum at the time, which is where my sweet mother mailed my Christmas gift. I tore off the paper to reveal Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbook entitled Plenty More, and was obviously thrilled. My first cookbook in Ketchum! We don't have a lot of room in our cozy studio, but there is certainly space for one very helpful cookbook. I tore through the pages, noted all of the recipes I wanted to try on pieces of paper, and stuck them in the front of the book. My Ottolenghi collection was growing.

Three months went by, and we were back in Ketchum around the time of my birthday. My lovely cousin sent me an exquisite box to celebrate, that was filled with food goodies galore. Plus one thing that wasn't directly edible—Ottolenghi's cookbook Plenty! They seriously couldn't have coordinated better if it had been planned. I got Ottolenghi's third cookbook first, his fourth cookbook second, and his second cookbook third. With no overlap! How did they know which one to gift?! Amazing! There was certainly space for one more very helpful cookbook in Ketchum.

Ottolenghi is incredibly creative. Two of the three books I own are entirely vegetarian, yet appeal to even the most devout meat eaters. Needless to say, I love his recipes. Plus they're easy to edit if you don't have access to all of of the ingredients or are feeling lazy, like I was a little while back. Actually let's not call it lazy, let's call it practical. Turn to page 42 of Plenty More and you will find a lovely recipe for Rice Salad with Nuts and Sour Cherries. It calls for individually cooked pots of wild rice, basmati rice and quinoa. This would be easy to accomplish if I had been in Connecticut with multiple burners, but the limitations of my Ketchum kitchen posed a bit of a challenge. I would have had to cook one rice, then the next, then the quinoa, one after the other on the same burner. And that was just far too much of a process for a weeknight dinner.

So I made some changes. I used only jasmine rice because I had it in the pantry (one pantry drawer = one variety of rice at a time). I also thought that all pine nuts sounded more appealing than half pine nuts and half almonds, so I adjusted accordingly. I didn't have any sunflower oil (see above: small pantry) so I used olive. And I upped the amount of herbs because, well, I love herbs. And there weren't any sour cherries at the market so I used dried cranberries. We also ate it hot instead of cold... Here's my version, though I'm sure Yotam Ottolenghi's is wonderful as well. Wink wink.

Meanwhile, pour 1/4 cup olive oil into a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, a large pinch of sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Sauté, stirring often, until some of the onions are crisp, and the rest soft and caramelized. Set aside.

Combine the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic in a small bowl. Season with a couple pinches of sea salt and black pepper, and whisk with a fork to combine.

Add the arugula, basil, parsley and tarragon to a large bowl. Mix in the cooked rice and onions. Pour your dressing over the top along with the cranberries and pine nuts, and toss to combine. Serve warm, or make ahead and serve at room temperature.

Bittman's recipe includes kale, and blending a vinaigrette with shallots. He also calls for roasting squash halves before cutting the flesh into cubes. Mine doesn't, I didn't, and I don't. But the essence is the same. I cubed my squash before roasting, didn't blend my dressing, and omitted the kale in the recipe, though I did serve a side dish of kale along with the squash. And my recipe does list measurements, for those of you who panic at the thought of kitchen improvisation (too much pressure!)...

I love the way the sweet squash is balanced by the tangy red wine vinegar. And I savor bites that have some good shallot chunks in there! And I revel in how quick and easy it is. Plus, it looks beautiful in my green bowls!

Thanks for the inspiration, as always, Mr. Bittman. Your column will be missed. But your recipes will live on. Can't wait to see what you do next.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and position a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Peel and deseed the squash, and cut into 1" cubes (roughly). Toss with a splash of extra virgin olive oil, and spread on the prepared baking sheet. Grind some pepper over the top, and sprinkle with crushed sea salt.

Place the squash in the oven, and roast for about 30 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender and beginning to caramelize slightly.

I'm familiar with cilantro rice from Mexican cuisine, and I created this recipe to have alongside some quesadillas I served with pinto beans, corn, onions and guacamole. The next day I had the leftovers with an asian slaw and my cumin Spice Rub Baked Cod. And last week I prepared it with Garlic and Herb Chicken Thighs, and steamed broccoli and green beans with tahini sauce. So I guess it's fairly versatile. I love the sweetness that the onion brings to the dish, providing a nice contrast to the spice of the cilantro. This rice would be a great addition to a burrito, and would make a nice accompaniment for pork or beef as well.

CILANTRO RICE

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small yellow onion, diced

1.5 cups white Jasmine rice

1/2 cup packed cilantro, chopped

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a sauce pan. Add the onion and and garlic, and sauté until soft and golden. Add the rice and stir it around for a few minutes, allowing the grains to toast and become fragrant.

Add water and cook per package specifications. Once the rice has cooked, fluff it with a fork and stir in the fresh cilantro.

I've been grilling vegetables all summer long. Toss them with some olive oil, salt and pepper, and onto the grate they go. Broccolini may be my favorite. The stems stay intact and retain their texture, while the florets get nice and charred. And together they make the perfect bite. The Man and I spent Labor Day weekend with a couple of his siblings, and yesterday I threw some broccolini on the grill with fish, burgers and corn for an easy early evening dinner. The broccolini was a hit. And involved practically zero prep and clean up.

But now that Labor Day has come and gone, many of us will start to transition our cooking lives according to the weather- replacing time spent at the grill with time spent by the oven. But luckily roasting a vegetable in the oven is just as delicious as the grilled variation. And with the same limited amount of work involved, which is perfect for those busy back-to-school weeknights when the sunlight disappears earlier, and the days are gone before you know it.

Simply tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper on a sheet pan, practically any vegetable will taste delicious alongside a protein, tossed into a pasta, or atop brown rice. Salt and pepper hold their own, but if you want to jazz things up a bit try adding an herb or spice to the mix, as I do with these carrots.

I ran into a friend a couple of weeks ago who happily reported that my Caesar salad has become one of her staples. I used to make this salad every week for a community dinner while working at PlayHard GiveBack last year, and one night she asked me how I make my dressing. I shared that it is a fairly classic recipe, with anchovy, Dijon and raw egg yolk. She said she was surprised because she typically hates anchovy, and asked for the recipe.

People often shy away from Caesar salad with anchovy, as the dressing can be quite salty and overwhelming. I find the way avoid that is three-fold. First of all, use good quality, glass-jarred Italian anchovy fillets packed in olive oil. Regular tinned anchovies seem to be saltier and more "fishy", and these jarred ones are widely available and not too terribly expensive. Secondly, the quality of olive oil you use makes a big difference. Just like wine, one olive oil can taste completely different from another. Some just taste oily, and when you combine that with strong anchovies you end up with a rich oily fishy disaster. Definitely use extra-virgin olive oil, which along with being less refined, has much more flavor than regular olive oil and helps to mellow the "fishiness" of the anchovies.

Finally, which is also the reason why I call this a "somewhat classic" Caesar, is to use Pecorino Romano instead of Parmesan. Pecorino is somewhat stronger and saltier in flavor, which works really nicely along with the flavorful anchovy to cut the rich egg yolk. Basically, instead of letting the flavor come purely from the anchovy, I use the extra-virgin olive oil and Pecorino cheese to create complexity that lacks the dreaded overwhelming fishy punch.

While my Caesar strays from the norm when it comes to choice of cheese, t's a typical recipe with regard to preparation. This salad comes together really quickly, and is great for a night when you don't have much time. It also scales really well, and you can make the dressing ahead, so serving it to a large crowd is not a problem. I've even made this salad for 30 high schoolers and it was a big success, both in terms of easy of quantity and preparation, and appreciation of flavor! I can happily say that like my friend's, many prejudices against raw anchovies have been overthrown by this Caesar!

Combine the garlic, anchovies, mustard, egg yolks and lemon juice in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing becomes thick and glossy. Stir in the Pecorino, then add salt and pepper to taste. If the dressing needs a little more acid, squeeze in a tad more lemon juice.

Chop the romaine into ribbons, and pour the dressing on top. Toss very thoroughly, as the dressing is thick! And garnish with a sprinkle of Pecorino and a few grinds of black pepper.

Why is broccoli such a hated vegetable by American children? Is it because broccoli is the mainstream easy veggie that's served most often, and kids don't tend to be huge vegetable fans in general? Or is it because most broccoli is served in a falling-apart, overcooked pile? I never hid my broccoli in my napkin growing up (call me an early adapter to the vegetable way of living) but I do know kids who did...

Actually, I adore broccoli. The Man and I are designing a vegetable garden right now, and broccoli is a must for me. Roasted in the oven, and cooked on the grill are two of my favorite ways to eat the stuff. But I can be suckered in by the classic steam as well, as long as it has a good dressing. That's the trick.

For a while my mother ate what seemed like 3 heads of broccoli steamed until beyond mushy, doused with olive oil and smashed up with flaky sea salt, practically every day. The one exception to the overcooked pile, I suppose. It's delicious, but a bit weird, and seems like one of those things that you should eat on your own time, while in your underwear in front of the TV. It's like Carrie Bradshaw's secret single behavior of standing at the kitchen counter eating stacks of saltine crackers with grape jelly while reading Vogue magazine... Not something you'd put on your blog, for instance.

So I'm not writing a recipe for smashed broccoli with olive oil and sea salt (though you really should try it), but I am sharing a version of steamed broccoli that's slightly more formal. Put on your pants and get off the couch for this one.

BROCCOLI WITH LEMON CAPER SAUCE

2 medium heads broccoli

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

3 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

a handful of fresh basil leaves

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium. Add the red pepper flakes, garlic, and capers. Let the garlic cook for a couple of minutes until it starts to show a hint of color. Take the pan off the heat and set aside. (The garlic will continue to cook in the hot oil even though the pan is off the heat, so you don't want to overdo it initially on the burner.)

Meanwhile, place a couple inches of water in a pot with a steamer basket, and bring to a simmer. Cut the broccoli into florets and place in the steamer basket. Cover, and steam for about 5 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green and can be pierced with a fork.

Transfer the broccoli to a serving bowl, and pour the garlic mixture over the broccoli. Roll up some basil leaves, and slice them thinly. Add the basil, lemon juice and grind some sea salt and black pepper on top to finish.

Sweet potatoes vs. yams: the great debate. We call them sweet potato fries, and candied sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving. But when we walk into a grocery store, we see that our familiar sweet potatoes are labeled yams. What's the deal? The purple-skinned, orange-fleshed "yam" and the golden-skinned, pale-fleshed "sweet potato" are actually both sweet potatoes. The pale variety is a "firm" sweet potato, and the orange variety is a "soft" sweet potato. As the firm variety was produced in the United States before the soft one, it became known simply as the sweet potato. So when the soft variety was introduced, the USDA decided to call it a "yam" to distinguish between the two. Our "yams" somewhat resemble true yams from Africa and Asia, hence the moniker.

So continue calling them sweet potato fries, and do the same with your candied sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving. You've got it right. Don't let the grocery store fool you. And if you're ever abroad and come across the true yam, give me a call and let me know how it tastes. In the meantime, let's talk sweet potatoes because that's what we've got in good ol' America.

I'm rather fond of sweet potato fries. Apple's Bar & Grill at the base of Bald Mountain out Warm Springs serves the best ones in Ketchum, and Mountainside Café in Falls Village, Connecticut serves the best ones back east. Theirs are both true to their name and are actually fried, but honestly sweet potatoes taste just as delicious when baked at home. And good thing because I am notorious for overestimating the amount of sweet potatoes I need for a recipe, and always have a bunch of extras floating around after a round of test kitchen. Luckily they don't spoil easily when kept on the counter, and I can have sweet potato fries in a jiff for days.

I like to balance the sweet potatoes with a little extra kick of spices, but feel free to limit your recipe to salt and pepper if you'd like to stay on the traditional side of things. Also, I leave the skin on because it's a pain to peel off and doesn't get in anyone's way. Plus the skins are full of fiber and nutrients.

SWEET POTATO FRIES

2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1/3-1/2" wide sticks (of varying lengths)

extra virgin olive oil

paprika

chili powder

garlic granules

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss your sweet potatoes with a splash of olive oil on a baking sheet before spreading in a single layer. Lightly dust the potatoes with paprika, chili powder, and garlic granules. Toss to coat, and spread into a single layer again. Sprinkle with salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Place your sheet pan in the top third of the oven and cook for 10-20 minutes, tossing part way through, until beginning to crisp. Remove the pan from the oven and let sit for a minute or two. Serve and enjoy!

They say cauliflower is the new kale. I'm not sure how I feel about that statement, because I've never been a fan of fads or trends (as my wardrobe in grade school well reflected) but I do love cauliflower, and I do love kale. So if they're popular right now, all the better!

I haven't always felt so positively about cauliflower. My love of cauliflower has been transformed over the years, much like my grade school wardrobe. As a kid I always thought it was the most boring of vegetables. It was white, quite bland, and often mushy, particularly if you're talking about the steamed cafeteria variety that continues to cook in its metal warming tray on the "hot meal" line. But fear not! Much like stretch pants and mom jeans, insipid cauliflower is a thing of the past! Because someone invented the oven! Kidding- the oven was invented before year 2000, but someone did have the genius idea to put cauliflower into the oven, for which I am quite grateful.

Cauliflower does amazing things when roasted with olive oil. The tips of the florets become golden, crispy and ever so creamy. It develops a richness nobody knew was possible. And yet the stems retain their texture, creating a wonderful contrast in your mouth. It's quite the experience.

I adapted this recipe from one I found in Food & Wine Magazine. I added currants which pair brilliantly with the spices and round out the Moroccan flavor profile, and changed all of the proportions as usual. The result is a perfectly balanced, spicy and sweet, creamy and rich, crisp cauliflower that almost melts in your mouth. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

MOROCCAN CAULIFLOWER

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 mounded tablespoon chopped mint

1 mounded tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 mounded tablespoon currants

1 mounded tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the olive oil, cumin, turmeric, red pepper flakes and salt. Place your cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle the oil spice mixture on top, tossing to coat with your hands. Shake the baking sheet so your cauliflower distributes evenly and bake for approximately 45 minutes until the edges begin to crisp and show color.

Transfer to a large bowl, toss with the herbs, currants and pine nuts, and serve.

A twist on a classic! I made these protein-packed treats as hors d'oeuvres to bring to a party last weekend, and they were a total hit! They would also be a smart and delicious snack to keep on hand in the fridge. The chickpeas lighten up the eggs, and the red onion, lemon juice and cayenne add a needed zing to cut the richness! Keep in mind that as delicious as a fresh egg can be, it's true what they say: older eggs peel much more easily when hard boiled.

Slice the eggs in half. Set the whites aside, and transfer the yolks to a bowl. Add the chickpeas, onion, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, water, salt, and cayenne to the bowl, and mash well with a fork until combined, leaving bits of the chickpeas intact.

Spoon the yolk chickpea mixture into the hollow of the egg white halves. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper and a parsley leaf. Keep refrigerated until approximately 1/2 hour before serving.

Note: Makes more yolk chickpea filling than will fit into the empty halves. I saved the remaining mixture and spread it on toast with capers and additional parsley for a snack the next day!

I had my first Padrón experience while working at Chez Panisse, and they soon became one of my favorite little bites. For years I grilled them up at practically every barbecue, but unfortunately my nightshade allergy now prevents me from eating them. However, they are so simple and delicious, I want to share this easy 3 ingredient recipe for you to enjoy.

Padrón is a municipality in western Spain, north of Portugal, famous for their small green peppers. While usually mild and sweet, occasionally you will come across one that is wildly hot and spicy. There's no rule of thumb to help you determine which young peppers are likely to set your mouth on fire, but like most peppers, the more mature they become, the spicier they will taste. And if you do get a spicy one, be sure to have some bourbon and/or sugar on hand- it has been proven that the alcohol and sweetness cut the heat!

If you can't find Padróns, pick up some shishitos or jimmy nardello peppers instead. The Spanish shishitos and Italian jimmy nardellos would be just as good with exactly the same preparation. In fact, Shishito peppers are quite the rage in here in Ketchum. Globus Restaurant in town serves a bowl of Shishitos with black sesame that my friends discovered a few months ago. Unfortunately I couldn't taste the hot commodity (four bowls later...) but my friends were so inspired that we decided to have a regular get-together named after the little guys. No matter what else is on the menu, little peppers are sure to make an appearance. Long live Shishito Nights!

Note: as you can see there aren't any measurements with this recipe. The Shishito Nights crew has taught me to never underestimate one's pepper-eating abilities. Get as many Padróns as you see fit.

Heat your grill to high. Meanwhile, toss your peppers with a good splash of olive oil until well coated, then spread them in a single layer in a grill basket. Grill uncovered, turning occasionally, until the peppers start to char and blister, about 5-10 minutes (if you don't have access to a grill, cook the peppers directly in a hot oiled pan for a similar result). Remove to a serving bowl and toss with the salt. Serve hot.

I sat around a campfire last night, and that means it's officially summer (well, almost). Spending the afternoon or evening outside at a backyard barbecue with an open fire is one of my favorite summertime activities. There's something about enjoying the warm air with family and friends that is the epitome of fun leisure time. I sound like my grandfather- leisure time. Though picturing him at a backyard barbecue in shorts doesn't quite add up.

Much like our wardrobes, favorite foods change with the season- as they should. And since strawberries are just getting sweet, now's the time for my Strawberry Gazpacho. I have always loved gazpacho, but since discovering that I am allergic to nightshades, I've had to forgo my summertime favorite. To fill the void I've created a slightly different chilled soup with a bit of crunch. Cucumber, onion and balsamic vinegar add a savory component that perfectly balances the sweetness of the berries. It's refreshing, and accompanies the typical backyard barbecue fare (such as grilled chicken and a green salad) very well. It's a fun and surprising twist, and has beautiful color. Plus, it can easily be consumed out of a red Solo cup...

In a bowl, combine the berries, onion, cucumber, balsamic and lime juice . Toss, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate 4-8 hours.

Place 3/4 of berry mixture into a blender, and puree until smooth. Pour the soup into bowls, top with a spoonful of the reserved berry mixture. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

This is nothing new: good sources of protein in our diet are essential. Protein gives us energy, keeps us feeling satisfied, and is key to repairing and building muscle... the list goes on.

Beans = good source of protein. When paired with rice, beans are a complete protein, providing all nine essential amino acids we use to create protein that are not naturally made within our bodies. In fact there are MANY good sources of plant-based protein, despite all of the brouhaha about vegans not getting enough of the stuff. You just need to have tasty ways to cook them! But today we're talking beans, and these guys are scrumptious.

I used to cook cannellini beans on the stove-top fairly regularly with olive oil, garlic and herbs. But after a while I needed a change so I mixed things up a bit and decided to bake them in the oven. The oven is my friend because it intensifies flavors in the loveliest way. But to do that, there needs to be some moisture that can evaporate, otherwise the food will burn. I added some broth and red wine vinegar, and decided it wanted a little more zing. The mustiness of sage is delicious with a creamy cannellini bean, so I added some of that. And mustard is a good friend of sage, so mustard went in too.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together the garlic, broth, olive oil, mustard, red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and few grinds of pepper. Stir in the beans, followed by the herbs. Transfer to a casserole dish, and bake until the beans are slightly golden and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Drizzle with additional olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

I found goat butter in Great Barrington at Guido's Fresh Marketplace- it's the best. They have organic produce, hot spiced cider when you walk in the door, great quality meats for the Man, a natural cosmetics section, organic produce, spiced cider, my favorite olive oil, organic... I'm repeating myself. And I digress.

Butter. After not eating any butter for a few years I have developed very sensitive tastebuds. I used to think of butter as a neutral flavor, but now can taste it from a mile away. And it's strong! I've accidentally eaten the standard variety (made from cow's milk) a few times, which is how I know I have butter radar. Goat butter is similar in flavor- perhaps a touch stronger, but the Man says he can barely tell the difference. So since I now have access to Anne-friendly butter, I've decided to use it! By making risotto.

There's something very meditative about making risotto- the methodical addition of broth little by little, the constant stirring, watching your crunchy rice turn into a beautiful creamy pot of goodness under your watchful eye... And when it's done, you better eat it up! The risotto doesn't wait for you. You wait for the risotto.

Of course even my well developed, butter-sensitive tastebuds would have a hard time isolating the flavor of butter when combined with all of the other elements in this recipe. But the butter adds a certain- well, butteriness, that olive oil lacks in certain circumstances. And thus my re-entry into the world of risotto was a delicious success! I hope you enjoy!

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment. Combine butternut squash, maple syrup and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl and toss. Spread on your lined baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30-45 minutes until the squash is soft and caramelized.

Meanwhile add the butter to a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until transparent (5-10 minutes). Add the rice and stir to coat the grains in the butter. Season with a good pinch of salt and grinds of black pepper, and stir. Add the wine and allow it to simmer and evaporate.

Ladle the vegetable broth onto the rice 1/2 cup at a time, allowing the last ladle to evaporate before adding the next. Stir constantly throughout the ladling and evaporation process. When the rice is tender and all 4 cups of broth have been added, transfer the roasted squash to the rice and stir to combine. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top, as well as a bit of cheese if desired. Serve immediately.

Roasting squash when it's chilly outside is one of my favorite things. The kitchen smells delicious while it's cooking, it's a great excuse to have the oven on which helps to heat the house, and at the end of the day you have a hardy and warm component to dinner! Spring officially greeted us this last weekend, but since there's snow falling outside today in Ketchum (quite the change from our 60 degree weather last week), today is the perfect day for a butternut squash recipe.

Last week I catered a dinner party for Rainforest Action Network, and in the spirit of all things sustainable and environmentally friendly, I prepared an entirely vegan meal. It's always important to find good balance while cooking vegan food, particularly when you're cooking for those who usually eat meat. I don't want anyone to feel as though they're missing something, so a hardy warm dish is key. Yet at the same time, a vegan meal that's too heavy isn't desirable either.

This dish has richness from the squash and olive oil, and earthiness from the sage and garlic. And those flavors are contrasted by the blood orange marinade which adds a brightness that prevents the dish from feeling heavy.

BLOOD ORANGE ROAST SQUASH

3 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

1/4 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

4 cloves garlic, sliced

2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, chopped

10 whole fresh sage leaves

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a glass baking dish, and let marinate for at least 1 hour. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and place your baking dish in the oven for 45-60 minutes until the squash is tender and caramelized.

The Man is one of those people who attacks life with complete enthusiasm, even if he has never done something before. And the other day he was determined to help cook dinner. It's not as though the Man has never been in the kitchen. Right after we met he made me an amazing breakfast of roast squash and apples with avocado and cilantro. It was truly one of my favorite meals I've ever eaten. So he can cook. And makes a point of telling me how he has made more pancakes than I have every time he walks in the kitchen on a weekend morning. But typically I'm the one wearing the apron.

So he wanted to help cook dinner. And after asking what I was making, he immediately opened the spice cabinet and started throwing things in a pan. Onions and garlic were flying, and next thing I knew there was this beautifully fragrant concoction in a cast iron on the stove. And not only was it delicious, it went perfectly with the meal I was preparing. That's how the Man rolls- he walks into a situation completely blind, and knocks it out of the park last minute. It's impressive. And okay fine, a little frustrating and perplexing to me. But very impressive.

After determining his "Ashkenazi Jam" blogworthy (the Man and his siblings recently discovered their previously unknown Jewish heritage, and have been very excited to work it in wherever possible - I retitled his recipe to make it slightly more descriptive of the food) he spent the next 15 minutes chronicling his process and determining suitable wine, beer and spirit pairings. I have made subtle edits but this recipe is his.

Note: The compote is shown above with my Garlic and Herb Chicken Thighs, spinach cake with currants and pine nuts, and ginger maple glazed carrots and parsnips. Second note: As this recipe is a recollection the Man "completely winging it" in the kitchen, he suggests that you take the measurements as a rough guide. Channel the Man, and fly by the seat of your pants.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Combine spices on a small tray and roast until toasty and fragrant. Set aside. Now your kitchen will smell good.

Heat a splash of olive oil in a large cast iron pan over medium. Add the onions, shallots, and garlic, and toast them, stirring frequently. It's okay to have some blackened edges. Add the spice mixture and stir.

Moisten the mixture with a couple more tablespoons of olive oil, and allow the onions to caramelize and simmer down. Add a splash of Saba along with the currants and stir. Part the mixture to one side of the pan and add your pecans to the empty side. Smash the nuts with a metal spatula until well crushed before stirring them in with the onions.

Having people over for dinner often leads to the perplexing question of what to serve beforehand as an hors d'oeuvre. Taking the time to make what can seem like an entire additional course is difficult when you're already trying to get dinner on the table! I'm catering a large dinner party next week and have been pondering this very question- what can I set out for people to nibble on that I can prepare ahead of time, and won't keep me away from the hot dinner on the stovetop.

Marinated olives are a staple at Chez Panisse, offering diners a little flavorful snack that wets the appetite without being too filling. They are simple yet delicious, and are one of the many inspirations I took with me from my time working there. I have developed my own citrus and herb marinated olive recipe that is great served warm or cold, and can be easily made in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

It is also the dish that keeps on giving, as the leftover herb-infused olive oil is amazing drizzled on pretty much anything, or turned into a simple vinaigrette when combined with lemon juice. As for the remaining garlic cloves- I have been known to devour them all. Cooked in the oil, they become so mild you can pop them in your mouth whole!

CITRUS MARINATED OLIVES

1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

15 garlic cloves, larger cloves halved

2 cups mixed olives (Lucques, Picholine, Castelvetrano, and Kalamata)

4 freshly peeled strips of lemon rind

4 freshly peeled strips of orange rind

1/4 cup capers

3 dried chili peppers, whole

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, coarsely crushed

3 dried bay leaves

2 branches fresh rosemary

5 branches fresh thyme

Heat the olive oil over medium low in a saucepan. Add the garlic cloves and cook until lightly golden. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for a few minutes. Turn the heat to low, add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Allow the ingredients to warm. Remove from the heat and let marinate for a couple of hours. Reheat before serving if desired.